17 August 2010

Yellow Morning

I have a series of photographs taken on Nørrebrogade - the busiest bicycle street in the Western world - taken last week. All along the section running past Assistens Cemetary, burial place of Hans Christian Andersen, the Father of Existensialism Søren Kirkegaard and various American jazz musicians who here in the 60's when Copenhagen was the jazz capital of the planet. The light here is wonderful on summer mornings and the yellow wall a fine background.

For now, let's start with this photo. Quintessential Copenhagen. Doesn't get more CPH than this. For me, it sums up everything I love about this city and the people who inhabit it.

13 comments:

This photo prompted a question. How do Danish parents justify to their children that the child must wear a helmet but the parent does not?

In Ontario, there is a mandatory helmet law for those under 18 years old. The pro-helmet group has been lobbying hard to extend that to everyone. Here is an example of their latest efforts: http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/cyclists-may-not-like-them-but-helmet-laws-work/article1668420/ Notice how the article (and the study) say nothing about the actual efficacy of helmets- they simply take as a given that a helmet will SAVE YOUR LIFE.

Anyways, many of the comments that this article has stirred up revolve around non-compliance by children being attributed to the fact that they see adults riding bicycles helmet-less. When challenged by their child, parents here fall back on "because its the law".

What do Danish parents say? Particularly as there is no helmet law for children and most of the child's peers do not wear helmets. For that matter, why would a Danish parent put a helmet on their child? I'm curious.

I have had this problem of me not wearing a helmet and my wife wants the kids to wear one. So this is how I squared the circle. I cycle an old fashioned bike upright, with the leg extended I have the same posture as walking. I'm in balance and my top speed is about the same as a 4 hour marathon runner.My stopping distance is about 2 mtrs.To put me in the same class as a car or truck is silly.I have a mountain bike my speed is much faster then an elite middle distance runner. I'm off balance my weight has to be supported by my hands my forward view is restricted as my rear view is too. My centre of balance is far less stable. I wear a helmet.It depends on the bike I'm cycling the two bikes are very diffrent one is safer then the other.The kids wear helmets on the forward leaning bikes and choose on the upright bikes.To be honest I'm more worried about them living an active life.

That girl is cool to her fingertips and she has got her figure back after baby too. I wonder did cycling help?

@ Annoyn. A childs' head is still soft, the bone is not as hard as an adult skull, and the brain is still growing. So even a soft(er) impact fall can cause some damage, that is why kids under 18 have to wear helmets.

I think it depends on where you live and how people ride, too. A person is not likely to wipe-out on a Dutch bike or a beach cruiser, and cars in Denmark are mindful of bikes.

That is not the case in LA where I am, cyclist ride "fixies" really fast with no breaks and have to skid sideways to stop, that is how most fall in my part of town.

Plus until we get new laws cars may strike cyclists with impunity and not receive any consequences or loose their licenses.

I think that in LA laws should be modified according to type of bike. I don't even know how I could make myself fall off a beach cruiser or Dutch bike, the geometry prevents this.

But other bikes have geometry which actually encourage head-first collisions...bikes where you're slumped forward cause you to loose your natural ear equilibrium and force the rider into an unstable posture unable to react in a moments notice. Plus, if they crash or hit an object they hit head first because they are positioned like a torpedo on their bike with their head as the point of the torpedo.